Memorial Day Weekend Trip Breaks Records

Air travel has consistently exceeded pre-pandemic levels as record numbers of people used U.S. airports over the Memorial Day weekend ahead of a busy summer season.

The Transportation Security Administration said it screened more than 2.9 million travelers at airports across the country as of May 24, breaking the previous record set in November over the Thanksgiving holiday. According to the TSA, May 23 was the third busiest day ever, with just under 2.9 million travelers.

“TSA agents set a new record for most travelers screened in one day!” the agency said on X, formerly Twitter.

Five of the TSA’s 10 busiest travel days ever have been recorded since the beginning of this month, according to a chart tweeted by the agency, highlighting how persistent inflation and extreme weather haven’t deterred people from their vacation plans.

While inflation has fallen At 3.4%, the cost of living remains high after it took months for the measure to fall from a post-pandemic high of 9.1%. The Federal Reserve is also keeping aloof lowering interest rates amid fears that inflation has not cooled sufficiently, leaving the cost of borrowing high for most Americans.

The numbers appear to match a forecast from the American Automobile Association, which said earlier this month that it expected travel numbers over the Memorial Day weekend to reach a peak not seen in nearly two decades.

The group estimated that 43.8 million people would travel 50 miles or more during the holiday season – a 4% increase from last year and close to the 2005 record of 44 million.

Of those, more than 38 million people drive, the highest figure for this holiday since AAA started tracking in 2000.

The AAA did this based on data from analyst INRIX marked the best and worst times to drive to avoid traffic. For May 27, it says that the best time to travel by car is after 7 p.m

“Travel times are expected to be up to 90% longer than normal,” said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX. “Travelers should stay informed about traffic apps, 511 services and local news stations to avoid being stuck in traffic longer than necessary.”